Nichole Urban, RN, CRRN, CBIS, believes she has a natural talent for caregiving. This, combined with her desire to make a positive impact, drew her to a career in nursing. She found her calling as a rehabilitation nurse at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals.
“Rehabilitation nursing wasn’t something I learned about in nursing school, so I feel really blessed to have come upon this career and have Madonna here in our community,” Urban said. “I have been a nurse for 10 years, and nine of them here at Madonna as a rehabilitation nurse, so it’s been a great fit for me.”
Urban started as a staff nurse, working on all units in acute rehabilitation, caring for Madonna’s wide variety of patient populations. She quickly found an affinity for the brain injury population and became a supervisor in Madonna’s specialized brain injury program. She achieved her Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) credential and later became a senior supervisor. Now, she serves as the nurse staffing supervisor, working with staff members to build and manage their schedules.
Her favorite thing about rehabilitation nursing is getting the opportunity to help people through a challenging time and form meaningful connections.
“It’s different from an acute care hospital where you have a really short length of stay and a really short amount of time with this person,” Urban said. “You get to spend a little more time with them, provide expertise and watch their hard work pay off. The difference it makes, from where they are in a difficult position when they come to us to how they find their new normal and get home and lead fulfilling lives.”
One thing she tries to share with younger nurses is to capitalize on the many opportunities Madonna has for continued career growth and learning. Through Madonna, she’s been able to achieve her Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) designation, participate in the ICAN program, and attend the yearly Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) conference.
“I think the ICAN is really rewarding because it’s tangible evidence of how far I’ve come as a nurse and what I have to offer,” Urban said. “Putting down my accomplishments on paper feels good. The CRRN is also a pretty incredible opportunity. We have our specialists in the rehabilitation field helping you through the curriculum and making sure that you’re successful. That extra knowledge has impacted the way I’m able to provide care to patients and to help teach those that I work alongside.”
When she shares her experiences with fellow nurses, she says they’re often surprised by how much support Madonna offers their staff.
“I’ve never had to pay for a continuing education unit (CEU) since being a nurse at Madonna because there are so many opportunities throughout the year to get that education and to further your skills, so they really invest in the people here and help their growth. I think that surprises a lot of people. That’s not something you can find everywhere.”
Something else unique to Madonna, Urban says, is the emphasis placed on our founding principles.
“It is a place where you can use your passion for caring for others in a way that is so meaningful, really building those relationships,” she said. “It’s special that the core values aren’t just displayed on the walls. You can see them living every day in the people you work alongside, not just by caring for the patients and families, but also checking in on one another, offering help, mentoring, teaching, making sure that we have what we need and fully displaying those core values every day.”